Construction 4.0 - Implications of digital for management

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution or industry 4.0 introduces automation and digital technologies that leverage the power of cyber-physical systems. In construction, the transition from analogue to digital processes – that is digitisation – is increasingly gaining traction and affecting the whole industry. Digitalisation includes working with various technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud-computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain under the premise that these will become increasingly integrated and connected in the future.

Nevertheless, the industry adopts all these innovations from software engineering and manufacturing sectors in a steep learning curve for its teams and its practices first become hybrid before reaching full digitalisation. Digital thus carries various implications for different agencies; industry, supply chains, projects, organisations and individuals all are influenced and transformed. The session will discuss the interfaces among these agencies and digital technologies and conclude with propositions for aligning management with the digital future of construction.